The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Rheumatologists Can Now Treat Patients Via Telemedicine

Rheumatologists Can Now Treat Patients Via Telemedicine

January 19, 2018 • By Susan Bernstein

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF
Elnur / shutterstock.com

Elnur / shutterstock.com

SAN DIEGO—In many regions, rheumatologists are scarce, and shortfalls will only increase. Panelists in the session, Telehealth: Can It Expand the Rheumatology Workforce?, held Nov. 6 during the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, believe tech­nology can help bridge the gap.

You Might Also Like
  • Telehealth Extends Rheumatologists’ Reach
  • Patients Value Convenience of Telemedicine
  • Practicing Telemedicine Raises Legal Considerations for Rheumatologists
Explore This Issue
January 2018
Also By This Author
  • Ron Olejko Retires from the ACR

The more specific term, telemedicine, “refers to clinical care delivered from a distance,” said John A. McDougall, MD, postdoctoral fellow in rheumatology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., who coauthored a 2017 systematic review of telerheumatology programs.1 From a hub site, the rheumatologist communicates with the patient at a distant spoke site, such as a small community clinic or rural hospital, he said.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“For the physical exam, the spoke site will also have a presenter, which could be a primary care physician or a community health worker or anything in between,” he said. The rheumatologist can guide the presenter to conduct tests or physical examinations. Telemedicine modalities include video­conferencing systems, such as Vidyo; secure provider-to-provider mentoring or training systems, such as the University of New Mexico’s Project Echo; or asynchronous systems in which rheumatologists reply to information stored by a primary care provider.

“There are multiple ways rheumatologists can use all of these modalities in different phases in the diagnosis and management of disease,” said Dr. McDougall. At initial encounters, the patient may need to travel to see the rheumatologist or be seen via videoconferencing with a presenter. As disease stabilizes, secure messaging may suffice.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“Flares may require us to switch back to face to face or video messaging. In drug tapering or remission phases, maybe we can talk with the patient’s care provider through e-consult systems.”

Exciting New Field

For rheumatologists at regional hospitals or academic medical centers, “telemedicine is a fairly exciting way of rendering care to patient populations that are more difficult to access,” said Daniel A. Albert, MD, a rheumatologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., who mixes periodic in-person visits to smaller hospitals with telemedicine to provide care to patients in rural areas.

Many rheumatology follow-up visits do not require a physical exam, he said. “Telerheumatology works well in those scenarios. It may seem heretical to not have your patients there to be examined by you. Some patients may need to be examined by the presenter, or they may not be good candidates for telemedicine,” he said.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Telemedicine’s main hurdles are administrative: credentialing, licensure, insurance and billing, said Dr. Albert. In all but nine states, the physician providing care must be licensed in the state where the patient is located. Physicians also must be credentialed at the hospital where the patient is receiving care. No template exists for telemedicine contracts, although a telemedicine association offers some resources online. There is a “-TH” suffix for ICD-10 reimbursement codes that involve telehealth. And controlled substances and infusions may be restricted if prescribed via telemedicine, he said.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Meeting Reports, Technology Tagged With: ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, patient care, telehealth, telemedicineIssue: January 2018

You Might Also Like:
  • Telehealth Extends Rheumatologists’ Reach
  • Patients Value Convenience of Telemedicine
  • Practicing Telemedicine Raises Legal Considerations for Rheumatologists
  • Rheumatologists Expand Reach Through Telemedicine

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.